Mismatches in scale between highly mobile marine megafauna and marine protected areas

Melinda G. Conners, Nicholas B. Sisson, Pierre D. Agamboue, Philip W. Atkinson, Alastair M.M. Baylis, Scott R. Benson, Barbara A. Block, Steven J. Bograd, Pablo Bordino, W. D. Bowen, Paul Brickle, Ignacio M. Bruno, Victoria González Carman, Cory D. Champagne, Daniel E. Crocker, Daniel P. Costa, Tiffany M. Dawson, Tomohiro Deguchi, Heidi Dewar, Philip D. DohertyTomo Eguchi, Angela Formia, Brendan J. Godley, Rachel T. Graham, Christian Gredzens, Kristen M. Hart, Lucy A. Hawkes, Suzanne Henderson, Robert William Henry, Luis A. Hückstädt, Ladd M. Irvine, Sarah S. Kienle, Carey E. Kuhn, Damian Lidgard, Stephanie A. Loredo, Bruce R. Mate, Kristian Metcalfe, Jacob Nzegoue, Carmen K. Kouerey Oliwina, Rachael A. Orben, Kiyoaki Ozaki, Richard Parnell, Elizabeth P. Pike, Patrick W. Robinson, Howard C. Rosenbaum, Fumio Sato, Scott A. Shaffer, Donna J. Shaver, Samantha E. Simmons, Brian J. Smith, Guy Philippe Sounguet, Robert M. Suryan, David R. Thompson, Megan Tierney, Dominic Tilley, Hillary S. Young, Victoria Warwick-Evans, Michael J. Weise, Randall S. Wells, Bradley P. Wilkinson, Matthew J. Witt, Sara M. Maxwell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly large MPAs, are increasing in number and size around the globe in part to facilitate the conservation of marine megafauna under the assumption that large-scale MPAs better align with vagile life histories; however, this alignment is not well established. Using a global tracking dataset from 36 species across five taxa, chosen to reflect the span of home range size in highly mobile marine megafauna, we show most MPAs are too small to encompass complete home ranges of most species. Based on size alone, 40% of existing MPAs could encompass the home ranges of the smallest ranged species, while only < 1% of existing MPAs could encompass those of the largest ranged species. Further, where home ranges and MPAs overlapped in real geographic space, MPAs encompassed < 5% of core areas used by all species. Despite most home ranges of mobile marine megafauna being much larger than existing MPAs, we demonstrate how benefits from MPAs are still likely to accrue by targeting seasonal aggregations and critical life history stages and through other management techniques.

Original languageEnglish
Article number897104
JournalFrontiers in Marine Science
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 20 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by a grant from Pew Charitable Trusts, with additional funding from a fellowship from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation awarded to SMM. Individual data sets were funded by the Busch Gardens Sea World Conservation Fund, Old Dominion University, Tagging of Pacific Predators program, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) ShellShock Campaign, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Darwin Initiative, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Disney Conservation Fund, Tullow Oil Inc, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, Moore, Packard, and Sloan Foundations, Office of Naval Research, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Point Blue’s contribution and support for rhinoceros auklet and western gull research, National Geographic Society, California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science, and Technology, Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Marine Conservation Society UK, Natural England, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Japan Ministry of Environment, North Pacific Research Board, Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Suntory Fund for Bird Conservation, Asahi Newspaper Company, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Environmental Fund, The National Science Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management, and donors to the Oregon State University Endowed Marine Mammal Institute and donors Wildlife Conservation Society. The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the author(s) and the U.S. Geological Survey but do not necessarily reflect those of NOAA or the Department of Commerce. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Conners, Sisson, Agamboue, Atkinson, Baylis, Benson, Block, Bograd, Bordino, Bowen, Brickle, Bruno, González Carman, Champagne, Crocker, Costa, Dawson, Deguchi, Dewar, Doherty, Eguchi, Formia, Godley, Graham, Gredzens, Hart, Hawkes, Henderson, Henry, Hückstädt, Irvine, Kienle, Kuhn, Lidgard, Loredo, Mate, Metcalfe, Nzegoue, Kouerey Oliwina, Orben, Ozaki, Parnell, Pike, Robinson, Rosenbaum, Sato, Shaffer, Shaver, Simmons, Smith, Sounguet, Suryan, Thompson, Tierney, Tilley, Young, Warwick-Evans, Weise, Wells, Wilkinson, Witt and Maxwell.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Oceanography
  • Global and Planetary Change
  • Aquatic Science
  • Water Science and Technology
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Ocean Engineering

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